Not Real
by Ultimatespiderfan347
Summary: Jackie was a kid who liked everything he watched. Even kid shows. After watching a movie called The Secret Life of Pets, it became one of his favorite movies. Once he finds a toy of one of the characters, he takes it home with him. But one night would change him forever...


**My first TSLOP story published. Whoop. Well, this story takes place in real life, just to let you know, which has the characters in real life, but this is a one chapter story, since I'm taking a bit of a...break, you could say. Also didn't expect to see a movie like this get like 12 stories already (Most people are already shipping Max and Gidget. Wee.). Enough chit-chat. Let's get this on the road!**

* * *

 _ **NOT REAL**_

 **JACKIE, A LITTLE** boy the age of eight, had just currently seen a movie that, in his later years, would be one of his favorites. It was one of Illumination's movie, The Secret Life of Pets, and he himself had some relationship about the pets he had. He had a little dog named Jerry (based on the Tom and Jerry shorts he used to watch), and he _loved_ him dearly. Mostly any movie he'd watch was either, "bland" or "boring." But this movie, _this_ movie, was a movie he loved. He liked Max, laughed at Snowball, the film's villain, and also kind of liked Chloe, the apathetic cat. Gidget was another one, but she was just... _there_. He didn't get that a Pomeranian, a little cute dog, could beat up even the biggest of animals.

Still, he didn't care if some of his friends didn't like it (he talked about it a _lot_ at school). He had his own opinion. Not theirs.

He walked inside the big Wal-Mart in his town after seeing the movie a few hours earlier (mostly to find some neat toys to show at school for show and tell), and glanced at the choices of food and toys and movies this store had. The place was crowded, he thought. Too many people.

He passed into the toy aisle, practically _begging_ his mom to let him look inside, and ran inside with the rest of tired parents and their hyped up children. He scanned the toys (mostly WWE or LEGO here, nothing much else), and, almost passing out from joy, saw one of the last toys in stock. The toy, with nice detail in the eyes and fur, holding a carrot in his hands even, was Snowball. The box holding him, gently bent a bit, displayed his name, the title of the movie, and on the back described several unimportant things.

He picked it up with alacrity; a big smile laid on his face with cheerfulness. Of course, he pleaded his mom to buy it for him, eventually making her agree to take her credit card out, and pay for it.

Jackie stared at the cashier; a man who had clearly been older than him with a scraggly beard, and some barely smudged glasses. He noticed Jackie staring at him, and saw the toy, then looked back. "Like him, eh?"

"Huh?" Jackie muttered silently.

"That...bunny, from that Pets movie?"

"Oh, yes, mister!" he immediately responded. "You've seen it, too?"

"No, kiddo," he said, scratching his beard. "I don't watch a lot of those movies anymore. Seen kids with the toys, though. They talked about that movie until their parents pulled them away for a second."

Jackie stared at the Snowball toy as he checked it out; the cash register made a little beeping sound as he slid by.

In awe, Jackie held the toy again as he and his mother walked out of the Wal-Mart, and entered the car to drive home. Jackie held his jacket and shivered as the cold night air whispered into his body, representing how he had goosebumps rising in his body. He ran inside the car to escape reality for a minute, and sighed. Another summer day gone to waste. Rarely was it cold, more hot, on these nights. Luckily, the night had spared him. Time had passed as he stared into Snowball's eyes; a bit of excitement filled inside of Jackie's body.

He stared up, seeing his house nearing closer. He set Snowball by his lap, and wanted to unbuckle his seatbelt. Eventually, he did.

Jackie held his toy in his hands as he entered the house, filled with nice AC inside, and unwinded. He sat in his bed, turning on the TV. He didn't care if it was almost his bedtime. He needed some shows to clear his mind. On the screen flashed bright colors reminding him of the cartoons he'd watch from time to time, but he didn't feel like watching any. It just felt weird to watch them late. (Plus, it was past time to see any cartoons. More adult shows aired past six.) He heard footsteps, presumably Mom, and the door opened. He was instead greeted by Dad, whom he hugged tightly. The only times he saw him were before work, and after work. All day if it was the weekend.

"Hey, Jackie," he said tiredly. "How's the kid doin', huh?"

"Fine, Dad," he said. "I liked the movie. It was amazing!"

"Glad you liked it," Dad said, staring at the doll. "I can tell Mommy bought you a toy."

"Yeah! I got Snowball!" Jackie pulled it up closer for Dad to suspect it closer. "He's one of my favorites!"

Dad stared at the bunny, sighing a bit as he handed it back to Jackie. He missed being a kid like his son.

"Well, that's good," he said, standing back up. "I gotta get ready to lay down now, Jackie. Okay?"

"Okay," he nodded.

Jackie walked back to his bed, laying back. He wanted to go to bed now, feeling the sleepy in his eyes growing in more. After a while, he said good night to Mom and Dad, sat Snowball in the corner of the room, and closed his eyes slowly, but surely.

* * *

 **J** ackie heard something in his sleep. It wasn't Jerry walking through the halls. And it wasn't Mom or Dad getting up for some sort of midnight snack. It sounded like something was ripped open, and walked out whatever was inside. He didn't want to open his eyes, fearing the worst of whatever the source was. Suddenly, he heard a voice. A clear, silent whisper.

"... _What's a bunny gonna' do to get out of here?_ "

Jackie jolted up; his heart began to pound faster than usual. That voice...it sounded familiar. He wanted to know, but couldn't say it in his head. Jackie slowly got out of his soft chamber of a bed, and peeked outside the door. He saw something. A small figure, fluffy and white, even if he couldn't see the color in the dark. The shadow's ears were long, drawn out. Jackie suddenly knew what this was. It was Snowball. _The_ Snowball from the movie he'd just watched. But, how was he real? He _wasn't_ real, he couldn't be! Jackie gasped silently, and hid back when Snowball snapped around in his direction. Jackie didn't know what to do. Would he meet him and talk? Would he hide until he disappeared from existence?

 _Yeah!_ he thought. _He isn't real! He's like my imaginary friends! They aren't real!_

Jackie sprinted to a side of his room that hid him from sight, and watched the cracked open door. He heard hopping, and a second later, Snowball was by the door, peering into his room. He winced silently as Snowball entered. He wanted this to end. He didn't want to see him _now_. He couldn't see him, right? He was a hallucination from sleep deprivation. He had to be.

A shape emerged from the direction Jackie hid in. Snowball, sniffing and possibly seeing him, walked slowly to him. He stared eye to eye at Snowball through the only light that was a car driving by next to the driveway. His detail could be clearly seen in the light, the fur and everything. He looked fluffy enough to cuddle, but Jackie knew he didn't want to hug someone that might flip out on him.

Then, Snowball opened his mouth.

"I can see you, you know?" his voice sounded real and stern. "Why bother hiding?"

Jackie, not realizing what to do, stepped back.

"...Y-You're not real," Jackie sputtered. "You're not even here! It's just a -"

"Nightmare?" he finished what Jackie couldn't say, then stepped closer. "Look, kid, I don't know _how_ I got here. I was with my human, okay? Next, I wake up in someplace you'd call _your_ home. I'm not a bad guy, kid."

Those words stuck in his mind. He had a flashback towards the end of the movie when the little girl picked Snowball up, and took care of him. He had smiled when she petted him, Jackie remembered. Now Jackie realized that he couldn't handle it anymore, talking to a fictional character.

"S-Snowball?" Jackie built courage to say his name. "You promise you're not bad?"

"Okay, first of all, how'd you know my name?" Snowball said a bit frustrated. "Second, I swear by Ricky that I'm not part of that Flushed Pets thing anymore, and I'm _not_ against you humans, okay?"

"Okay," Jackie said, clearly not focused on how Snowball asked him that first question.

Snowball hopped on the bed as Jackie stepped up and stared at him. He realized it was still dark, so he closed his door, and turned on the lights. Snowball's eyes dilated as he got used to his surroundings. It wasn't his apartment room, he knew. It was a small room with a TV, several random toys layed on the ground, and what was where he was released from. The box he was in was ripped a bit; the holders that held him still was ripped clean off, now on the floor next to the cardboard.

"Also, how...did you know what I'm saying?" Snowball asked more calmly. "I thought we pets couldn't be understood by humans?"

"I don't know," Jackie scratched his black hair as he said this. "I don't even know if you're even real!"

"I _am_ real, kid," Snowball hopped towards Jackie on the bed. "If I wasn't real, who would I be talking to you?"

Jackie sweated down his forehead as he got closer to Snowball. Still, he wanted this to be a dream. He'd wake up with no memory of talking to a _fictional_ bunny.

"Anyway, how did you get this room? It looks like it's in a house!" Snowball jumped.

"This is _my_ house," Jackie sternly stared at Snowball for a second. "Not an apartment."

"Well, that explains why I don't see Brooklyn anywhere outside. Wait, where... _am_ I?"

"I know it isn't Brooklyn," Jackie spoke. "This is Virginia."

"Virginia? Wow, that's far from Brooklyn."

Jackie sat on the bed next to him, which made Snowball jump farther from him. Snowball, not sure to trust Jackie, slowly walked towards him. Jackie didn't mind. Snowball inspected the room further, noticing the size, of course. To him, it wasn't luxurious like his apartment room. He missed Molly, his human owner, already. He missed the warm sensation of being with someone he knew. But, this was completely different. He didn't even _know_ this kid.

"Hey, kid," he asked. "What's your name?"

"Jackie," he said. "Jackie Burlington."

"Jackie? Okay, _Jackie_ ," Snowball nodded. "Tell me how to get back to my human."

Already Snowball had asked him how to get back to his home, which Jackie knew he wouldn't go home unless by some coincidence this night he'd teleport home or something. Which, he knew, wouldn't happen. Jackie, now this time pacing forward and backward, pondered. This was _not_ how he wanted to spend a night talking to a little bunny who ran a _cult_ of human hating animals, and now was a good domesticated pet. Surely, he thought, he'd figure something out or another. Jackie looked back at Snowball, now looking confused.

"I never get you humans," he said to Jackie. "Always with their thoughts. I'm domesticated, yeah, but not in the mood to be here now. We can figure out how to get me ho -"

"I don't know how to get you back to your owner," Jackie spurted out suddenly, interrupting Snowball. "Okay? I'm just a _kid_ who saw you on a big screen!"

He said too much, Jackie realized. Snowball stared endlessly into his eyes.

"Big screen? You mean...someone recorded me and showed me on a theater screen?"

"No," Jackie admitted. "Your in a movie. You're not real. You were made up by some people whoever ran Illumination."

"Illumination?" Snowball asked dumbfounded. "What stupid name is that?"

"Illumination Entertainment? You've never heard of them?" Jackie's heart this time _pounded_ fiercely. "Oh, you're from a movie. I forgot."

Snowball stared more into Jackie, disbelieving his theory that he, this _whole_ lifetime between the Flushed Pets and his domesticated new life, that he wasn't real. A character someone would watch and laugh to. A... _fictional_ character...

"It can't be...," Snowball said sadly. "I'm...not, _real_? Then how can I live being a pet?! WHAT'S THE POINT?!"

He snapped, almost raging to his whole body with the fire building up. He realized, even though he wasn't real, he didn't want to hurt someone in frustration. Domesticated pets _never_ hurt their owners. Never.

"...Sorry," Snowball calmed down. "I got mad, y'know. But, how am I in a _movie_? That can't be. I've been with my human for the rest of my life, and not _once_ had somebody told me I was in a movie."

"That's the point," Jackie said. "You're in a movie to _entertain_. People watched you with Max. I saw you -"

"Okay, how do you know Tiny Dog, too?"

"Come on!" Jackie said angrily. "I said you're in a MOVIE!"

Snowball quickly held the box he escaped from. He saw his name underneath a title. _The Secret Life of Pets_. Now, inside his mind, he knew. Their lives _were_ secret, he remembered. But never had it been documented into some kind of a movie. He couldn't keep this in his head. He needed to go home.

"Jackie," he said. "You need to take me home. I can't be living in someones house! My human's gonna' be sad if I went missing! What about my friends?!"

Jackie stood patently. He looked at his clock. **2:04**. _Oh, no!_ he thought. _There's only a few hours until Mom and Dad wake up! I need to do something!_

In all this conversation, time had passed by quickly. He didn't feel tired anymore, but he knew Snowball needed to get back home, even if his owner was asleep or not. He wanted to pick Snowball up and run out of his house frantically, but couldn't. He couldn't _leave_ his parents. Jackie didn't even know where New York was, or even Brooklyn. All he knew was that he had to figure something. He got an idea.

"Follow me," Jackie said.

"Where?"

"Just _trust_ me."

* * *

 **T** he outside of Jackie's room was silent. Nothing stirred. Not even Jerry.

Jackie and Snowball, silently creaking through the house, entered the kitchen. It was small, with an oven sitting in the corner, some drawers, and other kitchen related things laid out. Snowball was now hungry, but this wasn't the time to eat a carrot or something. Jackie lead him over a corner where a pack of keys lay. He searched through them, until he found some car keys, and keys to the house.

"Wait, Jackie," Snowball muttered silently. "You're _driving_? You're a kid."

"Well, we have to start _somewhere_."

"That's what I was thinkin'!"

The door, which luckily didn't creak loudly enough for his parents to hear, opened. He felt a chill down his spine as he locked the door, then walked to the car. It was chilly, he remembered, and he didn't have a jacket. The car beeped as he unlocked it. The sound made him jump from the inside as he quickly jumped in with Snowball, and closed the door. Snowball got under his legs to the pedal, since Jackie couldn't quite reach it. Jackie remembered how his parents drove. He shifted the gear to drive, then the car started to move as Snowball hit the pedal. It went _too_ fast, actually.

"Snowball!" Jackie shouted. " _Too_ fast!"

"Sorry! Kinda' hard to drive without being the driver. I'm used to that!"

The car slowed down to a better pace as Jackie turned the steering wheel in the direction he needed to drive to. The car drove forward through the dark night silently as Jackie's heart nearly exploded from his chest. He wasn't old enough to drive, that's a strike. He didn't have a licence, strike two. And the final strike was a _bunny_ was with him helping him _drive_. This definitely wasn't a dream. He noticed in his mind, though, that why would he need to drive a car, even though Brooklyn was farther away from his town?

"Are you sure this will lead us to Brooklyn?" Snowball said as Jackie paid attention to the road. "You said we're in Virginia, so how can we get there?"

"We're not going there! It's too far!" Jackie told him. "Plus, either way, we can't get there!"

"So where we headed?!"

"I don't know!"

Suddenly, a car drove in front, which made Jackie turn the wheel faster to move out of the way. Jackie couldn't see the driver, but he did have a clear thought it was someone sleepy. The car Jackie was in swerved to the right quickly into a ditch, but turned away before landing in it. Jackie was going to cry, but he couldn't. He lived. He was still alive.

After a few minutes, they stopped by the Wal-Mart Jackie went into to get Snowball. Jackie couldn't do this. It wasn't right. There was _no_ way to get to Brooklyn before his parents would flip and call police or something. He sat in the seat sweating; he took a couple of deep breaths to get back into reality. Snowball got out of the pedal area, and sat next to Jackie. Jackie stared into the darkness, which was barely lit by some street lights. Jackie couldn't get Snowball home even if he tried. Only a miracle would savor him and his friend. Jackie, now calm, opened the door, and slowly got out. Snowball followed. Jackie then suddenly fell to the ground in exhaustion, and just looked at the crisp night sky. The gravel was hard when he lay on the ground.

"Okay, now what?" he heard Snowball say. "We can't give up, y'know? Unless you wanted me as your pet. I could easily get used to you, Jackie."

"I can't," Jackie muttered. "We'd never get to Brooklyn. I'd probably get lost or just stay stranded in my parents car. My parents would be mad."

There was a tone of sadness in Jackie's voice this time. Snowball knew this, and cuddled Jackie to get warm.

"I know," Snowball said dreadfully. "It's just...my human may miss me. How can I get back home when I live farther away than where you live? She may never even _know_ I'm gone. For all I care, she may have just forgotten me..."

Jackie looked at Snowball, and almost cried this time, but he held the tears in.

"No, she'd never forget you, Snowball," he said. " _I'd_ never forget you if you were my pet."

"Yeah, you wouldn't," Snowball smiled a bit. "Though how am I going to get back before she wakes up?"

"We'll figure it out together," Jackie hugged Snowball silently.

Snowball looked at Jackie's face, and immediately saw tears forming in his eyes. _This is what it feels like to miss someone_ , Snowball thought. _I don't want to leave Jackie alone, though. What if I_ do _go home? What will happen then?_

A screech in the distance made both Jackie and Snowball look up. A car. Headed straight for them. Jackie suddenly remembered this car. It was the same car from earlier that almost made them crash, and Jackie then stood up protectively. He still couldn't really see the driver clearly, but he knew that _someone_ was driveing. The car continued driving towards them, and Jackie felt this was it. The end.

The car stopped.

Jackie opened his eyes after having closed them to be protected. He sighed when the car came to a complete halt. Snowball hopped forward as well like if he wanted to protect Jackie for a second. Then, the doors opened. Out hopped a few smaller figures. They were the same size as Snowball, and only when the light shone upon them did both Jackie and Snowball realize who they were. It was the other pets from the movie. Jackie smiled, glad that it wasn't a robber or a bad person.

"Hey, TD!" Snowball laughed as he hopped towards the other pets.

"Snowball? How did you get here?" Max said, and Jackie knew they were real, too.

"I don't know, but Jackie here was gonna' take me home. We realized...we couldn't."

"Same here," a cat - Chloe - emitted her voice out. "Just don't know how we got in _boxes_."

"Me too!"

Jackie stood silently as Max looked at him first. Jackie didn't know what it was like to see these characters in real life, though. But, he knew he had to tell them something.

"Uh, hey?" he muttered.

Max stood; a mouth wide expression on his face. He said something.

"Can you understand us?" Max said slowly.

"Yes."

Snowball looked at Jackie, then back to Max as he had a face Snowball knew was shock. He reassured him that this was okay.

"It's okay," Snowball told Max. "He's fine with me."

The other pets (Jackie saw some of them. Mostly Chloe, Buddy, Mel, and Sweetpea in the back) got closer, and stared silently through the night. They probably had the same thing in mind that Max had. Jackie crouched to their level to talk.

"How did you guys get here, though?" Jackie asked.

"We found a car somewhere after getting us back together," Max explained. "Though it took some time to get out of those boxes."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Chloe spoke again. "I was in some kids room like the others. Though I wouldn't really care to get out."

Jackie chuckled. Something in his mind popped in, though, that reminded him that they were possibly here to take him and the others back to their home. He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to give Snowball up now. Not after this. Jackie stood, and pondered some more, and had to think of something.

"You're probably here to take Snowball back, aren't you?" Jackie said. "Is that it?"

Max walked forward to Jackie. "We don't know. All we're trying to do is get back to our owners."

"I don't really know what to do, then," Jackie frowned. "I've tried. I don't even know _where_ New York is."

Snowball turned to Jackie's direction, then hopped forward to him. He held his hand to him.

"Jackie," he explained. "It's okay if I don't go home. We'll try."

"That's what I've been doing!" Jackie yelled. "And I can't even get that right!"

"We can try," Snowball hugged him. "I've been domesticated for a while, but even in that time if I was lost I'd know how to get back."

Jackie stopped. He looked down to him. The only choice was to let him go with the others. But, Jackie couldn't say goodbye. He wanted to say it deeply in his heart, but he just _couldn't_. Jackie looked behind him, and noticed the sky had now turned into a dark blue, starting to get brighter and brighter. Snowball still stood by him, but Jackie wanted him to let go.

"It's almost time for me to go," Jackie had to tell. "You need to go with them, Snowball. My parents are going to wake up, and I need to go home."

Snowball looked at the other pets, then back to Jackie.

"But, Jackie," he tried to say. "What about -"

"You'll find a way home," Jackie hugged him slowly, starting to cry. "I promise."

Snowball then felt his warm body hugging against him, and he almost wanted to cry, too. He'd miss Jackie. All of this time together had wasted him out, and he knew he needed to go home. His owner came back into his mind, and his feelings changed. He needed to come back home.

"I'm gonna' miss you, Jackie," he said. "I really will."

The hug continued, when Jackie heard another car swerve in. He noted the other pets, who ran back into the car. Snowball was following, but then turned. He stared into Jackie's eyes for the last time. He smiled, and waved. Jackie waved back, and then got up. The car that the pets were in reversed, then drove off as this new car drove through. He immediately knew this was his Dad's car, and wanted to almost regret even going out. The car parked, then ran out two people. Mom and Dad. They had tears in their eyes that Jackie had never seen before.

"Jackie!" yelled Mom. "Sweetie, what are you doing out here?! How did you get out of the house!?"

He had to tell the truth. He told Mom and Dad that he had to go somewhere, but got lost, then stopped and stayed by the parking lot in the Wal-Mart. He left out Snowball, because mostly they wouldn't believe him. He hugged Mom, and continued crying. He wanted to go home and rest. He wanted to go back to living his old life. But Snowball came into his mind. He remembered about him still, and even as he was in his Dad's car driving home, he missed him, too. He looked out into the sky, and the stars started to disappear from the night. But, some of the little lights in the sky formed something Jackie knew was Snowball. He imagined him staring down on him, and smiled. He closed his eyes, and everything was back to normal.


End file.
